Instrument for locating the liquid level in wells



Sept 16, 1952 D. B. TALIAFERRO Erm. 2,610,506

INSTRUMENT FOR LOCATING THE LIQUID LEVEL IN WELLS Patented Sept. 16, 1952 iNs'raUMENT Fon LooA'rINo. THE LIQUID LEVEL 1N WELLS David B. Taliaferro, Bartlesville,

Clifford F.

McClung, Tulsa, and Fritz G. Mueller, Bartlesville, Okla., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,762

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by -or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (ch. 460, 45 Stat. L'. 467),.

Our device relates to an apparatus for locating the liquid levels in wells and particularly for following liquid levels in wells `of any depth and under any pressure conditions.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing our device within an unlincd well.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section :of the upper portion of our device.

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of `an intermediate portion of our device. y

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly .in section, Aof a lower portion of our device.

f Referring to these drawings, our liquid level gage 5 is provided with an outer shell formed in sections which are united by screw-threaded telescoping couplings. This shell comprises a bottom nose 5, Ia lower outer shell 1, a chamber forming connecting sleeve 8, an upper outer shell 9, and an instrument head I0. The bottom nose 6 is provided with one or more transverse apertures II, an internal screen I2 for the apertures I I, and a transverse bottom stop support I3 having an internally threaded central aperture for a hollow externally threaded stem I4 of an annular stop I5. Within the lower outer shell 'l there is an elongated hollow metal iloat IB provided with a pressure qualizing upwardly extending tubular float arm Il.

The shell 'l is provided with a plurality of pressure relief slots I8 above the lowest position of the iloat I6 leaving a gas confining chamber within said shell 'l and within an upper tubular float stop I9 said stop being frictionally held within the connecting sleeve 8. The oat `arm Il extends upwardly through the oat stop I9, carries an electrical sliding contact and is terminally open within an external bail 2 I.

The upper outer shell 9 encloses an alignment tube 22 which in turn encloses two spaced insulating disks 23 between which are held Ia plurality of contact sleeves 24 insulated from nach other by a plurality of insulating washers 25, and surrounded by suitable insulating packing 26 of asbestos or the like which may be compacted land/or cemented while the sleeves 23 contact Sleeves 24 and washers 25 are held in alignment. Each contact sleeve 24 is electrically connected in series with a plurality of contact resistors 2l.

The bail 2l is electrically connected with a coiled ground wire 28 to a ground wire assembly 29 mounted in a group contact support Si! which ts within the alignment tube 22. A positive wire 3l is electrically connected to the lowermost of the contact sleeves 24 and extends upwardly through the upper disk 23 and the ground contact support 30 to a positive contact bolt 32 mounted in a support 33 in the upper shell 9 and is suitably insulated therefrom. The instrument head I0 when coupled with the upper outer shell 9 supports a positive contact assembly 34 which resiliently presses a contact 35 against the upper end of the positive contact bolt 32 thereby closing a circuit from an armored cable 35.

A gas connlng chamber is provided in the instrument between the upper edges of the pressure relief sl-ots I8 and the ground contact sup-port 3S which closes the chamber formed by a succession of connected tubular chambers, comprising those in the portion of the outer shell 'l above the slots I8, the upwardly extending chamber in the tubular float stop I9, the connecting chamber in the alignment tube 22, the chamber `formed by two hollow insulating disks 23, the contact sleeves 24 and washers 25, a chamber formed above the upper disk 23 and the chamber for the coiled ground wire 28. As lactually built, there would be no chambers surrounding the positive wire 3l -in either the disk 23 or the ground Contact support 30, that space having been left on the drawings for clearly illustrating the contact wire 3'I From the foregoing recital, it is obvious that this instrument is provided with an elongated chamber with no iluid opening above the slots I8. This chamber initially contains only air or gas and is so proportioned that even under the greatest pressures to which the instrument may be subjected the compressed com-ined gas will exclude all liquid from entering the chamber within the current conducting contact sleeves 24.

Our instrument is securely fastened to the cable armor 3'l by a conical cable armor clamp 38 within a compression sleeve 3S, the latter being internally threaded below the clamp 38 to reu ceive a threaded clamp nipple 40. A rubber sealing washer 4I surrounds our cable 36 within our instrument head I0 and is compressed by means of a compression screw 42 bearing against our compression sleeve 39 thereby compressing the washer 4I to f-orm a liquid tight seal as well as providing an additional clamping means between our gauge and cable 36.

The insulation on the current-supplying wire of our cable 36 ends at a centrally apertured externally threaded cable insulator 43. The current-applying w-lre is threaded through the insulator 43 into an externally threaded metal nipple 44 with which it mades electrical contact. The nipple 44 is supported by external threads in the insulator 43 and in turn supports the positive contact assembly 34.

The upper end of our instrument head is reduced to form a fishing nose 45 having a plurality of serrations to facilitate recovery with a spring socket type of fishing tool," for use incase of cable breakage within or close to the hea-d, while other types of shing tools may be used for' gripping a broken cable.

The cable 36 is passed through a line measur- .ing meter 46 for lindicating the depth to which our instrument is lowered, and then passes to a storage reel 41 which electrically connects the conducting wire of the cable 36 to a suitable battery 48, or other source of current. The battery 48 is connected through a variable resistance 49 to a milliamr'neter '50, thento a ground which mayv include thecablearmor anda non-insulated cable support or the external shell of our gauge and instrument enveloping fluid. When testing a vwell under gas pressurewhich necessitates closing the .mouth of the well with packing through which the cable Y35i will be passed, the weight of our instrument'with the suspending cable may be insuicient to lower the instrument in which case weights may be attached around the cable above our instrument to supply additional force.

The diagram shown .in ligi'l-re Y1 indicates a preferred manner of use of our instrument, omitting for the-sake of clearnesssuch wellknown equipment as a cable supporting framework. Our liquid level gauge 5 after beingftested and calibrated vis Ilowered into ja well to be tested after first reading the depth indicator 46 or setting it at zero and checking the setting. of the variable resistance 49 and thev reading Yof the millammeter 50, the circuit being open, because thev 'float 1'6 will be vat lrest Yon the; annular stopV l5 with the vent opening of thefiioat arm. I1 Within thegas confningchamber .andthe sliding. contact 2li will not vbe Ain electrical contact with any contact sleeve 24. As the lowering of our instrument continues, contact will jbe .made with liquid lstanding .in the well, and as .lowering proceeds the liquid will vflow-through Athe screened apertures l I and thestem I4 and liftour oat IB oil its sea't and raise,the attached ioat arm l1 and sliding contact 20. When the-.contact 29 reaches the lowermost contact sleeve 24 (see Figure 3) the electrical circuitwill be closed and this will be registered on vthe "milliammeter 50 which may then be adjusted by Imeans ofthe variable resistance to adesired reading.- In this position currentfwill flow from the battery 48 to the axle of the 4storage reel 41, which is electrically connected with the insulated wire inthe armored cable 36, ythence to the .nipple 44, the-- contact 35, positive -contact .bolt 32, positive Wire 3l, to Ithe lowermos't contact sleeve 24, .then -return through .a .grounded circuit comprisingthe sliding contact 2'0, tubul-aroat arln l1, bail 2l, ground wire assembly 29, upper outer shell .9., instruinent Vhead It, the. cable armor 3.1, and the earth, to the milliammeter 50,.va'riabl-e resistance 49, and back to the battery 48, the place from which the 'tracing of the circuit started. This circ-uit will usually include between .the lowermost contact sleeve .24 and the sliding contact 21 land one or more contact sleeves 24 above the lowest sleeves, the number depending upon the level of the float I6. The deflection lof the milliammet'er will depend upon the length of the contact resistor in the circuit, and by means of the previous calibration these readings may be converted into linear equivalents of the fluctuations in level of the liquid surrounding our instrument.

lA. novel feature of the applic-ants instrument is the combination of a hollow metal float provided with any upwardly exten-ding pressure equalizing tube l1, which opens into a downwardly open gas confining chamber and a provision of the lower annular lioat stop l5 and the upper annular float stop I9 which stops restrict the travel of the opening of the equalizing tube l1 within the gas conning chamber. This combination protects the hollow metal iioat 20 from crushing by excessive external fluid pressure and also provides means for excluding liquid from entering the float through the venting tube I1 or short circuiting the contact sleeves 24 within the maxi.- mum liuid pressures for which the instrument may be designed. Y s

It should be understood that-the, present vvdisclosure is `for the purpose of illus-tration only and that the invention includes all modicationsvand equivalents which fall within thespir-it and scope of the appended claims in which it is our intention to claim all novelty inherent in our inventi-on as broadly .as possible in view ofthe prior art.

What we claim is: v

1. An instrument .for vindicating fluctuations in the liquid level in wells by the closing of an electric circuit which compris-es a protective lshell provided with lower screened apertures for the yadmission of liquid andan upper plurality of pressure equalizing apertures spa-ced from the upper en-d Aof .said shell `.to :denne a gas confining chamber, a .hollow .float provided with an upwardly extending pressure equalizing tube which tube opens into said chamber above said apertures, a circuit closing sliding electrical contact.

level of liquid in which the instrument .is suspended.

2; An .instrument for indicating the fluctuations of the levels of liquid within wells subjected to a .fluctuating gaseous pressure, by the progressive 'closing of a ,plurality of electric circuits,

, which comprises ia protective shell provided with a .lower plurality of screened apertures and ibeneath an Vupper gas confining chamber an upper plurality of pressure equali'zing apertures the upper limit of which define saidgas confining chamber,--a hollow metal noat within saildshellprovided with an upwardly extending pressure equalizing tube,'a plurality of ci-rcuitclosing sliding electrical contacts .mounted on said. tube, a plurality. of

electrical contact sleeves with 'which said sliding f contacts close ycircuits in succession, a plurality-of insulating washers .insulating each sleeve Afrom adjacent sleeves, .a resistance :adjacent fto said plurality of sleeves .and washers, r.an electrical connection from each Yof .said contact 'sleevesntof -corresponding portions of said electrical resistance, a lower fiyoat stop, a tubular upper lioat 5 stop said hollow oat with said sliding contacts being reciprocated between said stop by uctuations in the level of liquid entering said shell from a Well in which the said instrument is suspended, a sou-rce of electric current, a circuit completing insulated conductor from one of said contact sleeves to suitable indicating apparatus on the surface of the earth, said protective shell serving as a ground return for completing the electric circuit.

3. An instrument for indicating the iiuctuations of liquid levels within wells subjected to a fluctuating pressure which comprises a protective shell provided with an upper gas coniining chamber, an upper plurality of pressure equalizing apertures which dene the lower limit of said chamber, a lower plurality of apertures, a hollow float within said shell between said upper and lower apertures provided with a. pressure equalizing venting tube in free communication with said chamber, a circuit closing sliding electrical contact mounted on and reciprocated by fluctuations of the level of said hollow oat, a plurality of electrical contact sleeves surrounding said float tube and enclosing an upper portion of said chamber, a plurality of washers which insulate each sleeve from adjacent sleeves, an electric circuit which includes an electrical resistance, an electrical connection from .each contact sleeve to a ycorresponding portion of said resistance, a, lower `float stop, and an upper tubular float stop which stops define the limits of travel of said venting tube Within said upper gas confining chamber as Well as the limits of travel oi said float, a suitable current fluctuation indicating apparatus connected in said circuit and a source of electric current for said circuit.

DAVID B. TALIAFERRO. CLIFFORD F. MCCLUNG. FRITZ G. MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 576,208 Lozier Feb. 2, 1897 1,227,286 Maher May 22, 1917 1,695,701y Steiner et al. Dec. 18, 1928 2,134,428 Scherbatsleoy et al. Oct. 25, 1938 2,139,810 Duncan Dec. 13, 1938 2,147,500 Rothenberger et al. Feb. 14, 1939 2,275,474 Scaramucci Mar. 10, 1942 2,394,437 Freeman Feb. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 73,661 Germany Mar. 1, 1894 409,102 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1934 

